Steven Pienaar has completed his £3m move from Everton to Tottenham Hotspur, after finalising personal terms and successfully coming through his medical at the club.

The South Africa midfielder was briefly the subject of interest from Chelsea, who had an offer of £3m for him accepted by Everton last Thursday. But this merely prompted Tottenham, who have tracked him for some time, to accelerate their plans to take him to White Hart Lane.

They had agreed a deal in principle with him, worth £70,000 a week, and they were happy enough to wait until the summer for him to sign it, when he would have become a Bosman free agent. Pienaar had rejected fresh terms at Everton towards the end of last season and it had become clear that there was no chance of him reaching an agreement with them.

But Chelsea's bid forced Tottenham to act. They matched the £3m offer and, with Chelsea unable to compete with their proposed personal terms, they were able to close the deal, much to the delight of the manager Harry Redknapp.

He sees Pienaar as adding depth and quality to his midfield options, pointing out that he can play on either flank and in the middle, where he features for his country. Although left-footed, Pienaar is considered by Redknapp as a viable alternative to Aaron Lennon on the right wing.

The 28-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year deal and he will hope to make his Tottenham debut at Newcastle United on Saturday.

Confirming his destination on his Twitter account, Pienaar said: "To end speculation I am going to Spurs. I've had brilliant years at Everton and it will always be a special place in my heart."

He also revealed his shirt number on Twitter, saying: "I can also confirm I'll be jersey number 40."